The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 1, 2025

With the erosion of American democracy norms coming at a head spinning pace, we have a roundup today on Donald Trump not ruling out a third term, Elon Musk’s million-dollar lottery in Wisconsin, a plea to a North Carolina Supreme Court candidate to end his litigation, and the end of universal mail-in voting in Utah.

President Donald Trump again raised the prospect of a third term as president in an interview with NBC aired March 30th, suggesting “there are methods which you could do it” and that he “wasn’t joking.”  A third term is prohibited by the 22nd amendment.

The Wisconsin AG’s appeal to stop Elon Musk from giving out two one-million dollar checks Sunday night was declined by the Wisconsin Supreme Court March 30th.   Musk used a petition to build a get-out-the-vote mailing list in support of state supreme court candidate Brad Schimel.  The election is April 1st.

March 18th, a coalition of 200 former state supreme court justices, judges, lawyers, law professors, and state bar officials asked North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin to terminate his eligibility challenge of 65,000 voters in his November 2024 loss. 

Governor Spencer Cox signed HB 300 March 26th, ending Utah’s popular universal mail ballot system, and replacing it in 2029 with in-person voting and an opt-in, limited-term mail-in voting list.    

We have links to more on all these stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

NBC News – Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in the White House, tells NBC News ‘there are methods’ for doing so
American Democracy Minute – Could Trump Run for a Third Term? The 22nd Amendment Prohibits it, But a TN Congressman Wants to Repeal It.  And There are Loopholes.
American Democracy Minute – Wisconsin AG Appeals to State Supreme Court to Block Elon Musk’s Million Dollar Lottery for WI GOP Voters – Oops – Make that ‘Spokesmen’
ABC News – Musk hands out $1M checks after efforts to block the giveaways in court are rejected
WCNC – NC jurists urge Griffin to concede amid election legal battle
Coalition of NC Judges & Lawyers –  Legal Community Open Letter to Griffin

Salt Lake City Tribune – Utah Gov. Cox signs away the state’s popular universal vote-by-mail election system, requiring opting in

Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause NC, Mormon Women for Ethical Government UT, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Protect Democracy

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #DonaldTrump #ThirdTerm #ElonMusk #VoteBuying #Wisconsin #NorthCarolina #Utah #VotebyMail

The post Updates:  Trump 3rd Term, Musk WI Lottery Not Blocked, NC Supreme Court Candidate Urged to Drop Challenge, UT Gov Signs End to Universal Mail Ballots appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 31, 2025

Shortly after our report on Elon Musk’s $100 dollar bounty for signing and referring others to a Wisconsin “activist judges” petition, he sweetened the deal Thursday, dangling a promise of a $1 million dollar lottery check, just days before the April 1st Wisconsin Supreme Court election.  

In Musk’s original social media announcement of his America PAC’s lottery, he said, “I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote.”  That’s illegal under Wisconsin law.  

So Friday, he re-posted that winners of the lottery would instead be “spokesmen” against “activist judges.”   Musk said the March 30th rally where he intended to distribute the checks was limited only to registered voters who had signed his petition. 

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul filed for an emergency injunction, which was rejected by a circuit court judge Friday, then by a Wisconsin appeals court Saturday, which said it couldn’t grant an injunction without hearing the merits of the case. Sunday morning, March 30th, the AG appealed to the state supreme court to stop the check distribution. 

The Democratic candidate in the race, Susan Crawford, said it was “immoral” for Musk to try to buy votes with his million-dollar giveaways, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

We have Musk’s post, links to the appeals and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign – Millions Spent, But Only Wisconsinites Can Decide: A Deep Dive into 2025 Campaign Spending
Associated Press – Musk announces $1 million for Wisconsin voter in Supreme Court race. Opposition calls it ‘corrupt’
Wisconsin Legislature – Statute on Election Bribery
Wisconsin Politics – Appeals Court denies Kaul’s request to bar Musk, America PAC from giving $1M payments to voters
Wisconsin Court of Appeals via WI Politics  – Decision on AG’s Appeal
WI Attorney General via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Appeal to Wisconsin Supreme Court
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Crawford calls Musk’s $1 million giveaway ‘immoral,’ Schimel says he doesn’t control the billionaire

Groups Taking Action:

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Common Cause,  Public Citizen

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Votebuying #ElonMusk #AmericaPAC #BuyingElections #Corruption

The post Wisconsin AG Appeals to State Supreme Court to Block Elon Musk’s Million Dollar Lottery for WI GOP Voters – Oops – Make that ‘Spokesmen’ appeared first on American Democracy Minute.